It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that most automobiles, motorized vehicles, and inboard boats are started by battery power and that the standard modern battery is a 12-volt battery having metal top-post terminals for the opposing polarities of the battery to which the terminals of battery cables are attached. In addition to, or in lieu of, top-post battery terminals, some 12-volt battery batteries have side-terminals. Side-terminals are conductive plates with female threaded apertures. The standard battery cable terminal or connector for a side-terminal has one end connected to the battery cable and the opposite end is a plate with an aperture. A bolt is received through the aperture of the connector plate into the female threaded side-terminal, and the plate of the cable connector is bolted into contact with the conductive plate of the side-terminal to establish an electrical connection.
Due to cramped space in and around engine compartments where batteries are located, side-terminal connections may be necessary in some instances instead of top-post battery terminal connections. Many standard 12-volt batteries last for several years, especially when used sparingly, as in some recreational boats. During the course of the life of a battery, corrosion build up may occur and, indeed, side-terminal battery hardware is notorious for not wanting to turn. Accordingly, it is often necessary to tap the hardware lightly with a hammer or to try rotating the cable and connector plate slightly as a wrench is used to turn the bolt. Due to cramped conditions, it can be difficult to carry out these or other steps to loosen the side-terminal battery hardware. In other cases, the hardware may be sufficiently bound that it is necessary to cut the battery cable in order to remove the battery.
What is needed then, is a side-terminal battery connector that will overcome the problems of prior art devices.